Billie Joe Armstrong opens up about playing Green Day’s ‘Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)’ for the first time

He says it gave him the confidence to reach outside of his comfort zone

Green Day‘s Billie Joe Armstrong has opened up about writing and playing the band’s iconic hit ‘Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)’ for the first time.

The 1997 single featured on Green Day’s fifth album ‘Nimrod’ and marked a shift in the band’s sound. The song went on to sell over two million copies and remains a staple in their live shows.

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Speaking on Krissy Teegerstrom’s ‘Beyond + Back’ podcast, Armstrong opened up about the process of the acoustic hit. “I had no intention of starting any kind of acoustic thing with Green Day, and I just wrote it, it was just sort of, like, from the heart to the four-track…” he said.

“You make these decisions – well, you can stay in your comfort zone or you can try doing this song…just put it out there and see what happens. So, I remember the first time I ever sang it live. We were somewhere on the east coast, we’re on the ‘Nimrod’ tour, and then I was like ‘Ok, I’m gonna sing this song. I’m gonna do it’.”

Then, with the band’s support, Armstrong launched into a performance of the song. “I shotgunned two beers and then I went out and did it, and it worked. And people were really into it and singing along…It was like a breakthrough…as soon as you hit that breakthrough, instantly in your mind you start going ‘I can do this. What if I try playing it a little more country music? Or what if I tried using loops and stuff like that?’ Automatically it gives you confidence.”

Earlier this week, Armstrong confirmed that new music from Green Day is in the pipeline, two years after their last album was released.

The Green Day frontman responded directly to a fan on Instagram, after they asked when new music can be expected from the punk icons.

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“I’m writing new songs for gd now,” Armstrong wrote.

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